Biography &Qualifications

Laurent Pech is Professor of European Law, Jean Monnet Chair of European Public Law (2014-17) and Head of the Law and Politics Department at Middlesex University London. Laurent is also a Visiting Professor of Law at Bordeaux University and Aix-Marseille University.

Prof. Pech specialises in EU Public Law and has lectured in a variety of subjects including EU Constitutional Law, EU Internal Market Law, EU Competition Law and EU Fundamental Rights Law.

Prior to his appointment at Middlesex University, Laurent was Jean Monnet Lecturer in EU Public Law at the National University of Ireland Galway. During the course of his academic career, Laurent also worked in Canada (Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Canada Research Chair on Globalization, Citizenship and Democracy) and in the United States (Emile Noel Fellow at NYU Law). He has furthermore worked as a legal consultant or trainer in many post-conflict or EU candidate countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Latvia or Montenegro, either on behalf of the Council of Europe or in the context of EU-funded assistance programmes. He is currently one of the speakers working with the Academy of European Law in the context of EU-funded training seminars on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Prof. Pech is the author of two books and more than seventy scholarly publications, on such subjects as the the rule of law in the EU, the scope of application of European human rights standards or freedom of expression in comparative law. His most recent papers are generally available on the website of the Social Science Research Network and/or on Academia.edu.

Prof. Pech's scholarship has been cited by national and European courts as well as EU bodies (he was for instance cited by Advocate General Cruz Villalòn in Case C-617/10 and his research also mentioned in the annual report of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency in 2012). In 2011, Laurent was awarded a European scholarship prize for outstanding research on the EU's Lisbon Treaty. The same year, the Undergraduate Awards of Ireland and Northern Ireland also awarded him a certificate in recognition of excellence in lecturing.

Amongst his most recent publications are:

'The EU as a Global 'Rule of Law Promoter': The Consistency and Effectiveness Challenges' (2015) Europe-Asia Journal (forthcoming)

With D. Kochenov, 'Monitoring and Enforcement of the Rule of Law in the EU: Rhetoric and Reality' (2015) European Constitutional Law Review (forthcoming)

'Secret de la défense nationale' [access to and publication of classified information in French and European Law], in LexisNexis JurisClasseur Communication, Study no. 3421, 2014

'Promoting The Rule of Law Abroad: On the EU's limited contribution to the shaping of an international understanding of the rule of law', in F. Amtenbrink and D. Kochenov (eds), The EU's Shaping of the International Legal Order (Cambridge University Press, 2013)

'The Reach of EU Fundamental Rights on Member State Action after Lisbon', in de Vries, Bernitz and Weatherhill (eds), The Protection of Fundamental Rights in the EU after Lisbon (co-written with Prof. Groussot and Prof. Petursson, Hart, 2013)

'Between judicial minimalism and avoidance: the Court of Justice's sidestepping of fundamental constitutional issues in Römer and Dominguez', (2012) 50 COMMON MARKET LAW REVIEW 1841

The Rule of Law as a Guiding Principle of EU's External Action, CLEER Working Papers 2012/3, 57p

'The Institutional Development of the EU: A Case of Plus Ca Change…?' in Countouris et al (eds), The EU after The Treaty of Lisbon (CUP, 2012)

Languages Spoken

French (mother tongue)

Italian (basic)

Serbo-Croatian (basic)

Learning &Teaching Interests

EU Law (LLB; LLM)

Research Outputs &Interests

I - Research Interests:

EU Public Law

European Human Rights Law

Rule of Law (doctrinal & practical issues)

II - Recent Publications:

'The EU as a Global 'Rule of Law Promoter': The Consistency and Effectiveness Challenges' (2015) Europe-Asia Journal (forthcoming)

With D. Kochenov, 'Monitoring and Enforcement of the Rule of Law in the EU: Rhetoric and Reality' (2015) European Constitutional Law Review (forthcoming)

'Secret de la défense nationale' [access to and publication of classified information in French and European Law], in LexisNexis JurisClasseur Communication, Study no. 3421, 2014

'Promoting The Rule of Law Abroad: On the EU's limited contribution to the shaping of an international understanding of the rule of law', in F. Amtenbrink and D. Kochenov (eds), The EU's Shaping of the International Legal Order (Cambridge University Press, 2013)

'The Reach of EU Fundamental Rights on Member State Action after Lisbon', in de Vries, Bernitz and Weatherhill (eds), The Protection of Fundamental Rights in the EU after Lisbon (co-written with Prof. Groussot and Prof. Petursson, Hart, 2013)

Pech, Laurent (2013) Migration of constitutional principles: the rule of law as a case study. In: European and National Constitutional Law (EuNaCon), 22nd February 2013, Maastricht University, Netherlands.